NEWCOMMISSIONSPROGRAM
Since its launch in 2005, the New Commissions Program has formed the core of Art in General’s programming, and was designed in direct response to feedback from artists who expressed a need for more in-depth support for the production of new work. Art in General gives selected artists the opportunity to create and present new work by providing them with a high level of organizational and conceptual support including artist fees, production fees, exhibition space, a solo exhibition, promotion, and opportunities to engage with audiences through free online and public programs.

WHATNOW?What Now?, a two day annual symposium that investigates critical and timely issues in contemporary art and curatorial practice, was launched in 2014. Presented in collaboration with the Vera List Center for Art and Politics, New York, its first iterations were on the topics of Collaboration and Collectivity in 2014, with a keynote presentation by Charles Esche, and The Politics of Listening in 2015, with a keynote presentation by Lawrence Abu Hamdan.

The three editions of the What Now? conference from 2015 through 2017 are made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, award MA-10-14-0304-14.

INTERNATIONALCOLLABORATIONSPROGRAM
While firmly rooted in New York City, Art in General has a long history of working internationally, and in 2013 it launched a new International Collaborations Program that encompassed existing partners from its Eastern European Residency Exchange Program (EERE) and new partners into one larger collaborations program. Art in General currently has partnerships with organizations in Australia, Egypt, Georgia, Latvia, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.

EASTERNEUROPEANRESIDENCYEXCHANGE
In 2001 Art in General initiated the Eastern European Residency Exchange (EERE), creating a unique program whose main aim is to address and imbalance of artistic exchange between the East and the West. The residency program allows artists from partnering institutions in Eastern Europe to spend time in New York, facilitating and aiding them in the production of new work in a new context. At the same time these institutions host New York-based artists for a similar residency, creating an ongoing dialogue that results in concrete public projects such as exhibitions, publications, workshops, and performances. The program’s goals are to support artistic growth, encourage critical dialogue, commission new work, and create dynamic interactions between artists and the public, while building a greater understanding of diverse cultures. Current partners include kim? Contemporary Art Centre in Riga, Latvia and The Gardens in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The selection process for the EERE program is by nomination only. Art in General solicits nominations by curators, artists, and arts professionals in conjunction with the EERE partners.

Art in General was founded in Lower Manhattan in 1981 and supports the production of new work by local and international artists primarily through its New Commissions Program and its International Collaborations program. Art in General also produces an annual symposium What Now? on critical and timely issues in artistic and curatorial practice.

General Support of Art in General is provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the New York State Council on the Arts with support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; the Cowles Foundation; Toby D. Lewis Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland; and by individuals. This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

The New Commissions Program is made possible by the Trust for Mutual Understanding; National Endowment for the Arts; Jerome Foundation; Ruth Ivor Foundation; The Greenwich Collection; and the Milton and Sally Avery Foundation. Support has also been provided by Commissioners’ Circle leaders Jeffery Larsen and Joseph Bolduc; Commissioners’ Circle supporter Cher Lewis, and Commissioners’ Circle members Nader Ansary, Roya Khadjavi-Heidari, Mary Lapides, Richard Massey, Ron and Lucille Neeley, and Leslie Ruff.